A grey seal pup covered in sores and puncture wounds has been discovered on Lowestoft's South Beach.

Marine and Wildlife Rescue received a call from a concerned passer-by late on Tuesday morning.

They sent a team of volunteers to assess it and, after discovering its injuries, decided to stand guard and watch over it.

Dan Goldsmith, a spokesman for the charity, said they did not feel they needed to intervene further in its care at this time.

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"It's normal for seals to come up for a few days at a time, especially at busy beaches like in Lowestoft," he said.

"If our team felt it was suffering too much, we would remove it and euthanise it and if its condition declined we would usually take it off to a sanctuary, but for now this one is okay and just needs some rest."

The main reason for the team standing guard is to protect the pup from conflicts with members of the public.

"Often when people see seals on the beach they want to help and get up close but seals can actually inflict a very nasty bite," he explained. 

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"If someone or their pet were bitten it could result in a very unpleasant vet trip or hospital trip - even if they look still, they can swing around very quickly."

Mr Goldsmith added that the pup's puncture wounds could have come from a fellow seal, as grey seals can get aggressive in situations concerning their mate. 

"They might have even come from a dog that went for it when it came onto the beach, but we can't be sure."

Mr Goldsmith advised people to expect more seals to appear on local beaches this year after a busy breeding season last winter.

However, it is only a cause for concern if they are coughing or appear quiet, withdrawn or sick.